Simulated-combat spells

I had the idea for a series of spells which allows "simulated combat" to take place, in which a combat encounter could be played out without risk of permanent harm to the participants. However, I'm not familiar with the ins and outs of writing spells so I'm not sure what spell levels, durations, or areas of effect I should specify for them.

These spells would be useful for training purposes, or for holding mock combat tournaments that remove the risk of injury and eliminate the need for healing and raise-dead spells. They would allow a combat encounter to take place among willing participants, using available spells, skills, feats, class abilities, combat maneuvers, magical items and so on, including the (simulated) depletion of hit points and spells, but at the end of the spell's duration, all expended uses of powers, charges, spells, and ammunition return to their former states, including hit points. To put it another way, it is a magically-induced means of playing a LARPG inside of a tabletop RPG. Consequently, these spells should certainly belong to the school of Illusion (a mixture of glamers and phantasms in terms of sensory inputs and mental hallucinations imposed by the simulated attacks). In reality, the activation of powers, spells, class abilities, et al are all suppressed in reality by the spell, but merely simulated.


There are other stipulations I have already thought of, which others might be able to add to, other than the ordinary limitations that accompany any spell such as AOE, duration, save DC, and so on.

- Game effects and outside attacks that originate from outside the spell's AOE or from non-participants have normal effect on the participants, as well as any equipment not on the participant's person or inside the AOE. If a participant picks up a sword thrown into the AOE by a spectator, any attacks he makes with it will have permanent and real consequences.

- The spell only simulates special powers that the participants are fully aware of. This prevents the use of these spells for discovering the unknown powers of a magical item without risk to the character. The same goes for characters suffering from amnesia, with regard to information they cannot consciously remember fully.

- These spells are unable to suppress the powers of artifacts, relics, or cursed items.

- Projectiles in motion and spell AOEs never "bleed out" of the simulation's AOE. The simulated spell's AOE is curtailed at the boundaries of the simulation's AOE; simulated projectiles in motion similarly wink out of existence.

- The simulation spells do not allow teleportation beyond the simulation's AOE. Dimensional travel is not allowed by non-epic versions of these spells except for Ethereal Jaunt and similar spells that are limited to the inner planes.

- At the end of the simulation's duration, all participants are returned to the places they were located when the spell was cast. Participants who "die" within the simulation are found stunned for 1 round at the end of the spell.

- Participants who were forced/unwilling, and participants who cease to be willing can attempt to leave the simulation (disbelieve) with a Will saving throw once per round.

- Monsters can be willing participants; any spell-lke or supernatural racial abilities whose effects are prescribed by Caster Level/HD can be curtailed by the limitations inherent in the spell.

Collectively, these spells are to be called the Arena spells after the original (limited) prototypes.


The prototype spells only implemented certain aspects of nonmagical combat, completely omitting the use of magic in any form.

Martial Combat Arena
Only the natural and extraordinary abilities of the participants are simulated, and the ordinary properties of melee weapons, including masterwork and special materials properties (magical properties are suppressed). The ordinary uses of projectiles and worn armor are not allowed for, leaving partipants protected only by shields and natural armor with only melee weapons able to be used (a javelin thrown or an arrow shot will simply vanish out of existence once it leaves the owner's possession). Additionally, participants are knocked out of the simulation after taking a single successful hit that would have inflicted damage (in game terms, participants revert back to their race's .)

Improved Martial Combat Arena - As per Martial Combat Arena, but participants are able to survive any number of hits until they would have been knocked out or slain in real life. (In game terms, they are allowed their full complement of HP).

Advanced Martial Combat Arena - As per Improved Martial Combat Arena, but enables the full use of projectiles and armor.

Though far superseded by the Tournament spells in terms of functionality, these spells retains a following among certain professional warriors and tournament-goers due to these very limitations, who prefer a straight-up fight, made more visceral without the available of ranged attacks of any kind, minus the trappings of magical enhancements and flashy offensive spells.


The Tournament spells are the final iterations of the Arena spell series, and enable the use of spell-like and supernatural class-based and racial abilities. Spell-like abilities, supernatural abilities, and any other innate power whose save DC is defined by caster level or user's HD are limited by the spell cast.

Sheriff's Tournament - maximum CL 5 / powers gained at 5 HD or less
- Wiz/Brd level 3 spell?
Baron's Tournament - maximum CL 11 / powers gained up to 11 HD
- Wiz/Brd level 6 spell?
Duke's Tournament - maximum CL 17 / powers gained up to 17 HD
- Wiz level 9 spell?
King's Tournament (epic spell, Spellcaft DC ???) - allows epic abilities, magic, and known powers of artifacts.

For multiple-HD creatures such as dragons, whose innate abilities are known to be acquired at a specific stage of life, HD-based powers can be easily reckoned as being available or suppressed by the spell. In cases where monster advancement is less clear: <not sure what to do at this point>



Any help offered is appreciated--suggested spell level, AOE, etc., in order to flesh out these magics into a playable form usable by PCs.

You might take a look at the various shadow evocation/conjuration/etc sort of spells for some ideas on emulating actual spells. The Merciful weapon quality and the Merciful metamagic feat (the latter from the Advanced Player's Guide) may be useful here as well with nonlethal takedown tactics.

Astral Projection has been used in the past to justify creating duplicates of people and their gear, which, if they die, just dissipate, while the original individual on their home plane is unharmed.

A spell that created a temporary astral space, similar to that generated by a rope trick spell or bag of holding extradimensional pocket, of indefinite size (large enough to encompass anything the combatants do), that contains not the actual people or their gear, but astral duplicates of their selves and equipment, while their real selves in the material world just appear to stare at each other until the 'astral combat' was over (either because one of the astral combatants 'slew' the other, or because they both agreed to end the encounter and return to their bodies).

Outside of the space, to everyone else, the two combatants would just appear to stand there, until the combat is over. The duration might even be altered, if whatever space pocket is created has a different time rate, so that every 10 rounds of combat only turns into a single round of the 'staredown.'

On the other hand, perhaps an illusion effect or divination effect could allow outside observers to perceive what is happening during the astral combat, perhaps as translucent overlays, if you want to include some visual flair.

There wouldn't have to be any additional rules or mechanics, charges wouldn't have to be expended from items, sundered gear would be unaffected, spell slots or rounds of rage or bardic inspiration, etc. used would be present when the combat ends, and the 'death' of an astral self wouldn't necessarily have any effect on the living individual (unless you want to have them take nonlethal damage equal to their full hit points, knocking them out for a while, or perhaps just stunning the loser or something).

Cross-posted for fun

Ha! So that was you on E-sam. Wasn't sure for a minute there.

So I've been thinkin about this. Best I could come up with that was clean was to reference an obscure rule I haven't bothered to really read through. In one of the Complete splat-books (arcane or Mage; I can check later) is a ruleaet for "Mage duels". I am positive that, aside from being able to cheat and deal lethal damage, these rules willbe able to handle what you wan these spells for.

The gist is, with an arbiter ("reeve" in our sense) two wizards can engage in a duel where there is no collateral damage, and no lethal consequences. I don't know if spells are retained after the duel, and so far it can't be used with non-casters. But tweak it so anyone can engage in a similar duel, maybe as part of the setting, and you're golden. It avoids rules loop holes because describing it as "a duel wherein there is no collateral damage, and any resources expended (including HP) are returned at the end" is all you'd need.

For added fun, allow for the finding of specific referees. Having to seek out an archon, a devil, or fight for a kings amusement, or even using it like super rock-paper-scissors would be cool.